Out Former Marine Announces Bid for House Seat in Alabama

An openly gay former Marine took to Facebook Sunday to announce his bid for a seat in the Alabama State House in District 54.

Over a week ago, Neil Rafferty, from Birmingham, Ala., said that he decided to run after a "dear friend" asked him to consider the bid.

"In the past week, I've spent many hours in conversation with family and friends, but more importantly, I've asked myself how can I best serve my community," he wrote on Facebook Sunday. "On Friday, I traveled to Montgomery to complete qualifying paperwork to run. I look forward to expanding my lifetime of service as I announce my candidacy for State House of Representatives District 54."

Rafferty is vying for the seat being vacated by Democrat Patricia Todd, who is Alabama's first openly gay legislator. She announced last mont she would not seek a reelection.